


Cute with Knives

by aflawedfashion



Category: Defiance (TV)
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Post-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:13:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8612389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aflawedfashion/pseuds/aflawedfashion
Summary: Berlin accidentally calls Irisa cute.





	

When the waiter had flashed Irisa a flirtatious smile as he promised to make her the best drink of her life even if he had to prepare a hundred different cocktails to find the perfect one, Berlin seriously doubted his words were anything more than a pickup line meant to get Irisa drunk with her pants off by the end of the night. Unfortunately for him, instead of a naked redhead in his bed, he got an impossible to please customer with no interest in his advances and every interest in making good on his offer. 

Fortunately for Berlin, watching this spectacle unfold from the barstool next to Irisa was the highlight of her week. Finally, it was someone else’s turn to deal with what Berlin had to put up with every day as Irisa’s partner in the Lawkeeper's office. And Berlin loved every minute she spent watching their waiter squirm under Irisa’s unshakable gaze... until he set Irisa’s latest drink down with a thud that said he would spit in their next round of drinks if Irisa didn’t stop being so demanding. As liquid sloshed over the sides of the glass, she knew her fun was over, but frankly, she was surprised he made it this long before realizing he didn’t have a chance in any hell with Irisa. 

“You know,” Berlin said, watching as Irisa glared into another drink like it had personally offended her. “If you weren't so chupping cute, no one would ever let you get away with this shtako.”

“He offered.”

“But you know he didn’t mean it.”

“If he didn’t mean it-” Irisa abruptly stopped speaking, her eyes narrowing at Berlin. “Did you just call me cute?” 

Wincing as her body froze, the word ‘shtako’ repeating rapidly through her mind, Berlin knew she had made a mistake she would never live down. “No,” Berlin managed to squeak out, turning to look straight ahead at the liquor bottles behind the bar.

“Berlin…” Irisa said, and Berlin could feel her gaze burning into the side of her head. 

“No,” Berlin repeated, reluctantly turning to face Irisa, trying her best to hold her chin up high and keep her voice from wavering. She knew that not making eye contact would be a dead giveaway that she was lying, so she looked directly into Irisa’s eyes and said, “No, that's not what I said.”

Irisa’s expression softened as a hint of a smile twitched at her lips. “I think you did.”

Berlin glanced to her side, hoping there was a way out of this conversation. Now would be a great time for someone to attempt a robbery or get in a brawl, but it was a peaceful night with no excuses for Berlin to latch onto. She’d have to own her words. “Ok, maybe I did,” Berlin said. “But that wasn’t my point.” 

Irisa leaned closer to Berlin, her smile having grown into a satisfied smirk. “You still said it.”

Berlin shrugged, trying to play off her comment like it meant nothing. “I didn't say  _ I _ thought you were cute. I said  _ other people _ thought you were cute, people like the waiter who spent all night trying to get you to chup him. I can't account for their lack of taste.” 

“No, I don’t think that's what you meant,” Irisa said in a tone that indicated she had noticed before tonight that Berlin looked at her in a way that was highly inappropriate for two people who were just friends, and barely friends at that.

Berlin shook her head in frustration, more with herself for letting her guard down than Irisa for noticing. “Can't we just move on and forget this ever happened?”

“No.” 

“Look, despite whatever I may have said, you can rest assured that I don’t think you’re cute,” Berlin said, only partially lying. She wasn't about to admit that she sometimes caught herself smiling as Irisa struggled to reach high cabinets before giving in and climbing onto the counter. Her height stood in opposition to her personality, and that could be irresistibly cute, but right now, as she wore a smile that said she was about to make Berlin hers, she was much closer to terrifying than cute.

“Good,” Irisa said, the smile fading from her face, but she didn't move away from Berlin. With their bodies only inches apart, Berlin couldn’t help but think about all the ways Irisa was anything but cute. Cute was nice. Cute could put a smile on your face on a bad day, but Irisa was so much more than cute. She was strong, she was fierce, and she was powerful. Those were the traits hindering Berlin's ability to think straight right now. Those were the traits that made it impossible for her to stop thinking about Irisa no matter how much she knew she shouldn’t.

“So,” Berlin said slowly, her breathing becoming heavy as Irisa looked at her in a way she never expected to happen outside of her fantasies. “Now we can just get back to our drinks.” She bit her bottom lip as the smirk returned to Irisa’s face. “Pretend this never happened.”

“But if it did happen, if you did call me cute,” Irisa said, pausing as her eyes fixed on Berlin’s with an intensity that made Berlin’s heart beat faster. “I’d have to hold a knife to your skin again.” 

Berlin’s eyes ran the length of Irisa’s body as she closed the distance between them, her embarrassment entirely forgotten. “What if that’s what I want?” she asked, her voice low, barely above a whisper. “What if that's what I’ve wanted since the day I met you?”

“Trust me,” Irisa said, matching Berlin’s tone. “You don’t want that.”

Silence fell between them as they stared into each other’s eyes, neither willing to back down, neither wanting to end a moment they had secretly fantasized about in the dark of night. Irisa's eyes practically sparkled with excitement, and Berlin could hardly keep her hands to herself, itching to grab her and pull her against her body.

“Am I supposed to be afraid of you?” Berlin asked, the tension between them so thick she knew she couldn’t go much longer without breaking it.

“I’ve killed men twice your size,” Irisa said, placing her hand on Berlin’s thigh, sending a shiver down her spine. 

Berlin tilted her head slightly to the side. “You think I haven’t?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Irisa's lips, unsure if they were about to fight or kiss. 

“I could take you,” Irisa said, and as their eyes met, Berlin knew exactly what would happen next.

Berlin arched one eyebrow. “That’s cute,” she said, a sly smile tugging at her lips. 


End file.
